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29.1.14

GENEVA 2014 - ZENITH Pilot Montre d’AÉronef Type 20 GMT 1903

Since its founding in 1865,
the Manufacture Zenith has been part of all the dreams and daring endeavours
that transform utopian dreams into reality. Among the human adventures that
have punctuated its history, there is one particular conquest that the brand
accompanied right from its beginnings in the early 20th century:
that of the SKIES. Driven by the same enterprising spirit as these pioneers
who gave life to Icarus’ dream of flight, Zenith pays tribute to the Wright
brothers through a watch issued in a 1,903-piece limited edition: the Pilot
Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 GMT 1903.

In their
bicycle shop in Dayton Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright dreamed of wide-open spaces
and freedom. These natural-born inventors conceived a first glider that they
launched on the Kitty Hawk dunes in North Carolina. At the same time, they
built a wind tunnel to study various technical aspects such as the profile of
the wings. Constantly perfecting their prototypes, they installed a stabiliser
at the front of a second glider, and then a steering rudder at the back of a
third that could thus be controlled: a world first in the field of aeronautics!
After hundreds of trials, the two brothers decided to move a step forwards by
equipping their glider with an engine. Lying face down on the lower wing of the
twin-propeller aircraft named “Flyer”, Orville Wright achieved the first
powered, heavier-than-air controlled flight in history, on Kitty Hawk beach.
The young man covered a distance of 40 metres at a height of 60 centimetres off
the ground. The date was December 17th 1903. Representing a major
milestone in aviation history, the year 1903 now gives its name to a timepiece
created by Zenith as a tribute to the Wright brothers: Pilot Montre d’Aéronef
Type 20 GMT 1903.

PARTnERING
SKYBORNE heroes since THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Zenith
was one of the first watch manufacturers to create flight instruments to equip
various aircraft and spaceships manned by the aviation pioneers. Known for
their precision and exceptional ability to withstand vibrations, magnetic
fields and variations, Zenith’s altimeters, onboard watches and chronographs,
as well as its wristwatches, became extremely popular with pilots, who were
thus accompanied in their feats by the brand with the guiding star. In just
over a century, Louis Blériot, Morane and more recently Felix Baumgartner, have
fulfilled their destiny and put their name in the history books with a Zenith
instrument on their wrist or on their cockpit controls.

Pilot
Montre d’AÉronef Type 20: A LEGENDARY MODEL

A cult
watch among collectors, the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 played a key role in
the burgeoning airmail business, and was fitted as of 1939 on the instrument
panels of a number of aircraft, such as the Caudron trainer planes used by the
French airforce. What could be better than this aeronautical legend to inspire
a timepiece paying homage to the Wright brothers? Drawing upon these historical
roots, the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 GMT 1903 features a case made of
black DLC-coated titanium that is therefore ultra-light despite its 48 mm
diameter. The ratcheted crown typical of historical aviator watches ensures a
perfect grip even with pilot’s gloves. The five-times sandblasted black dial
reproduces the generous original Arabic numerals ensuring perfect readability
by day or night. The luminous glow of these delightfully vintage figures stems
from a first “old radium” treatment covered with a more classic Superluminova
treatment. The effect is fascinating and the resulting appearance truly unique,
since this ingenious combination creates a creamy shade enlivened by tiny retro
accents that cannot be identically reproduced from one watch to the next. Each
dial thus becomes unique and further heightens the exclusive character of the
1,903-piece limited edition, with the individual number appearing on a special
plate screwed to the side of the case middle, like an aircraft rivet.

Actively
partaking in all manner of dreams and adventures, the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef
Type 20 GMT 1903 is also an invitation to travel thanks to a second time-zone
indicator powered by an accurate and reliable automatic movement: Elite Calibre
693. Finely adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif even though it remains hidden
from sight, it ticks off time at the rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and has
a 50-hour power reserve. Beneath this elegant mechanical heart, the case-back
is adorned with a stamped insignia depicting Orville Wright aboard the “Flyer”,
with his brother Wilbur running along Kitty Hawk beach to follow the feat being
accomplished on December 17th 1903.

A sturdy
wristband crafted in beige suede leather sets the finishing touch to this
model. Its lining features a heat-embossed motif in which connoisseurs will
note the inscription “Zenith Flying Instruments” as well as the brand’s
historical logo, thus underlining the spirit of an era in which the skies were
still waiting to be conquered.

Technical Data

·LIMITED EDITION OF 1,903 UNITS

Movement

Elite 693, automatic

Calibre: 11 ½ ‘‘‘ (Diameter: 25.6 mm)

Thickness: 3.94 mm

Components: 186

Jewels: 26

Frequency: 28,800 VpH – (4 Hz)

Power-reserve: min. 50 hours

Finishes: Oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève”
pattern

Functions

Hours and minutes in the centre

Small seconds at 9 o’clock

24-hour second time-zone indicator

Case,
Dial & Hands

Material: Titanium case with DLC (Diamond Like
Carbon) coating

Diameter: 48 mm

Diameter opening: 40 mm

Thickness: 15.80 mm

Crystal: Box-shaped sapphire crystal with
anti-reflective treatment on both sides